Real Madrid raised their fans' expectations ahead of the Clasico with another convincing win, continuing their impressive displays of late, as if to say: "Bring us Barcelona now".
The Spanish giants brushed aside visitors Leipzig 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening in the third round of the Champions League league phase. It was their last outing before Sunday's Clasico showdown against Barca in La Liga.
José Mourinho's side can now head into that clash with calm nerves and high spirits, having dazzled against Roma, Sevilla and Leipzig in turn. They hold a psychological edge over a rival still smarting from a first defeat of the season, a 4-2 reverse at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona had earlier looked the favourites to settle the Clasico given their run of wins and sparkling performances in La Liga and the Champions League. Now, after Real's revival, the scales appear almost even.
Leipzig flashed warning signs around Real's goal in the first half, yet Thibaut Courtois shone and the hosts conjured their magic, especially after the break.
Nine points from three games keeps Real's record perfect, following wins over Inter Milan and Roma in the first two rounds, and lifts them to fourth in the overall standings. Leipzig stay frozen on three points in 27th.
| # | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | PTS | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 9 | ||
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 9 | ||
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 9 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 9 | ||
| 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 9 | ||
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | ||
| 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 6 | ||
| 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 6 | ||
| 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 6 | ||
| 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 6 | ||
| 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | ||
| 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 5 | ||
| 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 4 | ||
| 16 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | ||
| 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | ||
| 18 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 3 | ||
| 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 3 | ||
| 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 3 | ||
| 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 3 | ||
| 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 3 | ||
| 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 3 | ||
| 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 3 | ||
| 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 3 | ||
| 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 3 | ||
| 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 3 | ||
| 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 3 | ||
| 31 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 1 | ||
| 33 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 1 | ||
| 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 0 | ||
| 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 0 | ||
| 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | -12 | 0 |
Courtois shines and Silva opens the scoring
Real dominated the first half and nosed ahead, but Leipzig's dangerous attacks nearly cost them dearly, with only the brilliance of Courtois standing in the way on more than one occasion.
Arda Güler was a nuisance down the right flank, bursting forward repeatedly and whipping in crosses. The most dangerous arrived in the 15th minute, but Kylian Mbappé could not turn it into a goal.
Twice Courtois rescued his goal in the first half: first in the 28th minute, parrying a shot from inside the box, then in the 41st, thwarting a one-on-one.
Jude Bellingham threatened the German goal in the 39th minute with a rocket from outside the box that flew over the bar.
Then, two minutes before the break, Bernardo Silva struck the opener. He pounced on a follow-up to a Güler shot that deceived the goalkeeper inside the six-yard box.
Mbappé dazzles and Diomandé scores against his former club
Real cranked up the pressure from the restart, hunting a second to settle the points early. Six minutes in, they had it.
Bellingham burst forward from the left and clipped in a precise cross that Mbappé met with a header, and Güler finished into the German net.
Buoyed by that second goal, Real seized possession and kept threatening Leipzig's goal, snuffing out any hint of a German surprise.
Mourinho pulled Vinícius Júnior after 70 minutes, the Brazilian unable to find his level, and sent on Ivorian Yan Diomandé.
Just as the match looked set to finish a clean brace, Mbappé conjured a superb third. He collected a ball from substitute Diomandé and curled it into the far corner, beyond the goalkeeper's reach.
Leipzig refused to go home empty-handed. Tidiam Gomis grabbed a face-saving goal, pouncing on poor positioning from Real's defenders after a pass from Christoph Baumgartner.
Diomandé then rounded off Real's four-goal haul with a rocket of a strike, seizing on a pass from Moroccan substitute Brahim Díaz to find the net of his former club.